FIGHT!
by LIKEABSOLUTELY
Summary: Ran becomes a rebel, Miyu is abandoned by her mum, and Aya picks up a bad habit. With everything going wrong, and different people met, what would each of them choose to follow? OCs included. bit of romance
1. RAN

cocoa: my first GALS! fic! um, though its very different (serious), pls drop a review:D

**RAN-witnessed**

Ran heard a sound. It wasn't a gentle rusting of leaves nor a slow footsteps of a wandering animal. It was a shout, and whoever it was, was in pain. A loud crashing sound soon accompanied it, and because it was coming from the back alley, Ran figured someone was being kicked towards the rubbish bin.

She walked stealthily forward into the dark lane and saw three guys beating up a smaller guy. There was another just standing there and laughing morbidly. Blood so crimson was oozing out from the injured guy's mouth, bruises covering his face. Besides bleeding profusely from the mouth, his hand was twisted at an unusual manner, but his tormentors never seemed to stop. For once, their cruel behaviour struck Ran frozen. She stood them watching them in stagnant horror. The guy was too injured to beg them to stop, or block for that matter, and resorted to being vulnerably open to their blows. Finally he lay there, eerily motionless.

The one who was laughing scorned, "Dare you refuse us again? What a loser…" The three others nodded uncertainly with him, eyes still glued onto the bruised body. "Let's go."

Ran was still. There wasn't any sound left. Suddenly she recovered from the shock and was aware that only the unmoving guy and her were left in the dark alley. She took one last glance at the body before turning to sprint home.

She was glad Miyu and Aya were not with her, or they would ask why she didn't help to defend the poor boy.

-SCHOOL-

Thick red liquid flowing out, bruises and wounds…

"Ran? Ran!" Miyu's voice broke Ran away from her chain of thoughts. Ran glanced at her, then looked away. "Hey, is anything wrong?" Her friend asked, genuinely concerned. There was a moment of silence before Ran muttered, "Yeah, the society."

The school bell rang, cutting off whatever Miyu was about to say. Ran took her stuff and walked out of the classroom. As if in a daze, she ignored Miyu's plea for her to slow down and continued walking briskly. Aya was there waiting at the gate, and smiled and waved when she saw her.

"Ran?" Ran walked right passed Aya, but stopped when she grabbed her arm. "Are you okay?" There was no response. "RAN! I asked you to wait for me!" Miyu exclaimed. "Sorry," Ran spoke, "Guess I wasn't listening."

"It's okay." Miyu beamed, "Shall we go over to your house now?"

-RAN'S HOME-

While Miyu and Aya were busy chatting, Ran caught sight of the newspaper on the dining table.

'TEENAGE BOY KILLED BY UNKNOWN BULLIES. Late afternoon yesterday, a 13 year old boy was found dead at Shibuya's backstreet alley, with numeral injuries, mainly caused by brutal assaults. With broken ribs, internal bleeding, a fractured hand, he passed away at exactly 4:56pm. Valuables like his mobile phone and money were missing. This should be an act of a few school bullies, authorities are still investigating for the culprits. Witnesses are encouraged to come forward with required information.'

"Ran, aren't you coming up-" Miyu's voice trailed off in Ran's ears as she dashed out of the house.

She was panting by the time she reached there. She stared at the spot, it was exactly the same. Only, it was kept out of bounds by police tape. There were blood splatters that stained the cemented ground, which triggered the scene to replay in Ran's mind. She continued to gaze as various thoughts and emotions came flooding into her mind.

She saw fights before. She saw bullying before. But she had never seen blood, bleeding out so quickly. She saw injuries before. She saw bruises before. But she had never seen wounds so raw, bones fractured so badly. It would be etched in her mind, like a cruel scar that would never leave.

She felt water, and realised that it was drizzling. Ran snapped out of her daze and wondered how long she had been there. The sky was also starting to darken. She trudged away, unlike her usual self.

-RAN'S POV-

Why am I acting like this? I hate it! This is so not me! So what if I were there? So what if I witnessed everything? I was just too.. traumatised to do anything… so I shouldn't feel remorseful or guilty. I should just forget it and go back home, like now. When I go back, everything will be back to-

Ran bumped into someone. She looked up and saw someone who looked so familiar. Or maybe it was some thug she taught a lesson last time… She brushed past him and went back to be oblivious of the surrounding. However, she still managed to discover that people were following her.

She turned around and saw a gang of roughly ten street hoodlums glaring at her. Ran spotted the guy she bumped earlier on in the crowd, and he was the only one grinning. But in a sardonic way. "Hello." Then, as if it were a command, the rest of the gang advanced on her. Ran blocked out their attacks and managed to throw punches to keep them off her. She ducked when they swung at her and soon only two guys were left standing.

She kicked one of them and he went down unconscious. Then she felt vicious, burning agony on her right arm. She saw blood dripping down from a wound, the other guy had slashed her. Exhaustion and pain weakened her, and Ran fell down on her knees. The creepy guy chuckled. He walked forward to her, clapping, "Not bad… but still a loser."

Ran's head jerked up as she had a shocking realisation. She recognised him. "It's you." She whispered with a gasp, thinking about the newspaper report she read this morning. "It's me." The seemingly arrogant leader never stopped grinning.

"Aren't you remorseful?" Ran asked in an disgusted and demanding tone. "That's a funny one, why should I?" He was not just some street thug, he was quick and knew what she was talking about. She glared at him, agitation creepy up her skin.

"You are a murderer!" She burst out, unable to swallow the fact that he was still playing dumb at such at obvious statement. Ran wiped a bit of blood away from her lips and got up, she didn't like literally looking up to a guy like him.

"Murderer?" He echoed, a shadow of innocence over his face. Then, just like the moon during an eclipse, it disappeared "I didn't do anything to him, I did not even _lay a finger _on him." He chuckled. Ran was appalled at his direct answer. She walked up to him and swept her hand to slap him. However, he caught her arm, "My, you really are interesting." Ran flinched at his comment and pulled her hand back.

Hearing numerous groans, she was then aware of the rest getting back on their feet. The guy also seemed to know and said, "It was fun, but time's up." Showing her his trademark facial expression, he turned around and left with the gang.

"Wait." Ran called. The whole gang looked back except him. "What's your name?" Although she could only see his back profile, Ran knew he was grinning. "Yokocho." He threw at her before walking off.

Everything seemed to fade into darkness around Ran as she stood there, drenched in the rain.

(Yokocho means Alley)


	2. MIYU

cocoa: although not many ppl reading this, i still want to complete this fic:p so stubborn...

**MIYU-abandoned**

"Bye." Miyu smiled and waved goodbye to Aya as they parted outside Ran's house. She was still wondering what happened to her friend who disappeared so suddenly when they came downstairs to find her. She and Aya had tried to call Ran, but her mobile was forgotten on the table. Both of them stayed in her house waiting for nearly two hours, but Ran was still missing.

Miyu lowered her umbrella, the rain was beginning to stop. She was really worried for Ran. Approaching her doorstep, the sad feeling came enveloping her heart. _Back home._ She sighed and hoped that her mother wasn't in, so as to avoid an awkward situation. But one part of her also wished that her mother was in, so that the home would look more like one instead of an empty house.

She opened the door and peered in. There wasn't a pair of glamorous shoes lying around the door. Miyu exhaled, realising that she had been holding her breath. Then she looked up and saw. She let out a gasp when she saw that furniture was missing. The house was empty.

She immediately ran to her room and was severely freaked out at the sight. Her closet stood lone in the bare room. The bed, mirror, table, _everything_, was gone. She dashed to her mother's room. It was totally empty.

With a light head and shaky knees, she made her way back into her room. She felt nauseous and finally, she stumbled. She closed her eyes and tried to swallow back the rising bile in her throat. Once she opened her eyes, she saw a note stuck to the closet door.

Slowly, she managed to make her way forward to take the note. It read,

_All your stuff are in here. Please pack and leave. The buyers are coming over tomorrow morning. If you have a boyfriend, go rely on him. _

Miyu leaned on the closet to prevent herself from fainting. The sudden blow was overwhelming and deep down her heart, it was also painful. Before she could stop herself, tears started falling. Tears of misery, frustration, anger and hurt. She sniffed and wiped them away, telling herself that crying was a useless act.

Still, she desperately wanted to call Yamato or Ran, her source of help and comfort. But one part of her didn't want to call them, especially Yamato, he would be worried sick. And mostly, she didn't want to be a burden, she could rely on herself. She was not like her mother, taking advantage of people.

Miyu realised that she was starting to get a grip, or at least, didn't feel so lost. She packed her stuff in one move, took a last glance at the house, and left into the night.

-MIYU'S POV-

I found myself in some kind of garden place, but somehow, from the atmosphere and tension, I can sense that this was _hell_. A place of punishment and condemnation, where dark angels of damnation reside.

I was on a bridge, more like a stairway though, to heaven. My mother was on it, a few steps ahead of me, and she beckoned me to pick up the pace. I was pretty slow and without any notice, the steps under me turned horizontal. I fell backward onto the cursed ground, watching my mother continue toward heaven. Then a bunch of evil spirits surrounded me, but instead of harming me, they just mocked and laughed at me.

Miyu woke up. It was a horrible dream, a nightmare. She momentarily put her thoughts aside and looked up. It was the sky, a shade of dark blue and smeared auburn with pink at the bottom, like during a sunset. Except, now it was dawn.

Memories of yesterday night immediately came flooding back to her. This time it didn't hurt so much, it just stirred up abhorrence in her heart. She strapped on her bag and stood up. She was tired, but to yawn just felt strange. She had taken a night's refuge outside a building, and she headed into it. Although it was very early, access was still available as the building was never locked up.

It was tedious, and maybe even a stupid thing to do, but Miyu ignored her mind and continued to climb all the way to the highest floor(the building doesn't operate so early, that includes the elevator). Once there, she dumped her slightly heavy bag on the floor and strode to the edge. She looked 13floors downward. She didn't feel dizzy or afraid, all she felt was hesitance. Whether or not she should take a step further.

She started to cry again, not helping it. She didn't know what was ahead of her, and she felt like she was cut off from everyone. Miyu knew she needed help, she could _not_ survive herself. But she really wanted to be independent, not a hindrance in anyone else's life.

She leaned forward, beginning to feel the pull of gravity. She closed her eyes...

Suddenly, a strong force jerked her backward. Miyu fell on her back with a scream. She didn't want to open her eyes yet, she was afraid to see who it was who halted her. Yamato? So she still had to see. And she saw.

It was a girl her age who looked vaguely familiar. "If you don't want your life, you shouldn't be the one throwing it away." She said, her tone and expression difficult to read. Miyu sat up, wondered if her comment was meant to be rude of positive. And who was she?

"I know you can't remember me, but I remember you. I definitely do." The girl said a little grimly, which confused Miyu all the more. She was about to say something, but the girl cut her off. "You don't have to say anything, I don't want to hear what you want to say."

Miyu was quite sure the girl was _not_ positive. She felt a little numb, and silently, she stood up once again and made her way past the girl to get her bag. She couldn't care about that girl, and did not bother to waste her thoughts on her. As she going to start down the first flight of stairs, she heard the girl call from behind her, "Hey," Miyu stopped and sighed, overwhelmed by an unexpected tiredness, "Don't you thank people when they save your live?"

Miyu turned around to glare at her. She was troubled enough, another nuisance would be totally unnecessary. And didn't she say that she didn't want to hear what she wanted to say? She was ridiculous, audacious, retarded… Miyu stopped. She discovered that she was venting her aggravation on the girl, who, no matter how annoying, had rescued her from making a decision she may regret.

"Thank you." Miyu said, sincere but through gritted teeth. Then she turned and continued to make her way somewhere, anywhere away from this girl. At 12floor, she realised that her hope was in vain. The irritation was _stalking_ her. Or just following her, nonetheless, she didn't want her to. And she was going to talk to her nicely.

Miyu turned round to face her again, "Look, will you quit following me." She said it as a statement and not a question, making it more like a command. "You're just paranoid, not that I know why or anything, but I'm not stalking you, if that's what you're thinking. I just happen to be making my way downstairs after you." From that girl's response, Miyu concluded that she was not only eccentric, she was also very, very talkative.

"Whatever." Miyu muttered under her breath and was glad that she was finally approaching ground floor. She crossed the street and to her dismay, sensed that The Irritation_,_ now her label, was _still_ behind her. She turned around and looked at her in exasperation. The girl got the message but said, "I am not following you! I just happen to be heading the same direction after you."

Miyu couldn't help but chuckle, the girl was so lousy at lying. "Right." Miyu stretched the word in sarcasm, "Then can you at least tell me _why_ you are stalking me?" "I told you I'm not-" The girl stopped at Miyu's serious look. She seemed a little ashamed as she stared at the floor for a brief moment before returning her gaze to Miyu. "Don't you want to know who I am?" She asked hopefully, "I know you find me familiar. You have to."

"What is 'You have to' suppose to mean?" Miyu inquired, then reluctantly said, "Who are you?" The girl immediately brightened up at her question, as if she had been waiting for it since she saw Miyu. "I'm Akai." She waited to let it register in Miyu's mind, "A member of Resistance."


	3. AYA

cocoa: hmm. i have yet to decide about the ending... but pls continue to read (if you are XD) and review:)

**AYA-convicted(with excerpts) **

It was break time, but Aya still did not see any sign of her two best friends. _Did they play truant? _Knowing that they would not do such things, she immediately dismissed the thought. Still, she was feeling lonely. Suddenly, her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Aya?" A female voice asked, it took Aya awhile before she realised that it was Ran's mother.

"Oh, yes I am." She responded politely, unconsciously smiling. Maybe she was explaining Ran's absence on her behalf.

"Is Ran with you in school?" Shocked, Aya wasn't expecting what she heard. Hearing her pause, Mrs. Kotobuki cleared her throat uncomfortably and continued, "I called Miyu but she didn't answer her phone so I thought I'd call you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't see her at all today." There was another awkward pause. "Um, don't worry Mrs. Kotobuki, I'm sure she'll give you a call later on.. she might be caught up while coming to school…" Aya trailed off, feeling that unnecessary blabber was really stupid.

"She didn't come home yesterday." Mrs. Kotobuki replied directly, not bothering to conceal her tone of worry. That shocked Aya even more, because she had never heard of Ran _not_ going home. Wasn't her family very bonded? "Thank you very much, goodbye." Mrs. Kotobuki cut off her train of thought and hung up.

_Maybe Ran stayed overnight at Miyu's place... and they woke up late today. That explains their absence._ Aya sighed, knowing that she was pathetic at deluding herself. She wanted to know what really happened. She flipped open her phone to call Ran, but stopped. Obviously she wouldn't answer.

The bell rang and Aya got up to go back to class, she then realised that it was raining outside. Somehow, it felt like an ominous sign.

-SHIBUYA STREET 3-

Ran pressed on the button. Immediately, a can drink dropped out. Wearily, she bent down to retrieve it. She walked over to the side and slumped down. She popped open the can and gulped the liquid down her throat. She felt a wave of relief as her thirst was finally quenched. She knew and_ felt_ quite hazard, but she couldn't help it.

No matter how tough she was, Ran had never spent a night outside her house before. Her stomach grumbled, causing her to groan. She hated feeling hungry, it was far worse than feeling painful. She grumbled about lacking sleep, food, money when she noticed someone settling down beside her.

She turned and saw Yokocho. She was surprised, but was too exhausted and hungry to show it. Instead, she turned away. _Wasn't he the cause of this anyway?_ Irritated, she decided to walk off. _Why did she ask him for his name yesterday? It doesn't mean anything. _She was still grumbling, and she didn't know _what _she was grumbling.

She was getting up when he caught her hand. She looked at him, but not in surprise because her mood was still bad. Yokocho was grinning, which made her feel more annoyed. _Like what was he smiling about? _"Sadist." She muttered, louder than she intended to.

He faked a sigh, "The names you call me…" Then he smiled, "C'mon, I'll treat you to a meal." Ran looked at him incredulously. This expression she couldn't stop herself but show. _Did he mean it?_ "Yes, I mean it." As if reading her mind. Ran shrugged silently, it was his choice.

She was expecting a fast food place and got a huge shock when he lead her to a seemingly expensive and posh restaurant. His grin became wider when he saw her astonishment. He entered before her and quickly got a seat. Ran, still flabbergasted, walked in slowly after him.

"Order anything you like." Yokocho said, flipping through the menu. Ran took the menu handed to her and stared at the price. Then she turned her dilated eyes to him. "Really?" She asked, somewhat whispery. "Anything." He confirmed, waving for the waitress attention.

"What would you like to order?" The waitress asked sweetly, looking at him. Before he could respond, Ran shot off. "Number 4, 7, 15, 23, and a coke." Yokocho raised his eyebrow at her, then ordered his preferred meal.

"So that would be a seafood platter, sirloin steak, lamb stew, bacon spaghetti, and a coke." The waitress double checked their order and added with a wink at Yokocho, "With a fish flambé for you." He smiled back, a little mischievously.

_Was she making a pass at him? _Ran noted the waitress' behavior and observed Yokocho. For the first time, seeing him under clear light, she realised that he was quite good-looking. His eyes seemed to hold a playful glint as she remembered glaring into them the day before. "Fallen for me already?" Yokocho said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts, "I didn't think it would be so soon."

"What?!" Ran spluttered, "I was just wondering if you are always so flirtatious." He smirked, "Why? Did I make you jealous?" Ran rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore his lame comments and shift the topic. "So where is your gang?"

"Somewhere in Japan." Yokocho replied carelessly. "Why is that your concern?"

"It's not my concern, just my curiosity." Ran said bitingly, disliking his attitude. Just then, it began to rain. She glared at it, as, like so many other things today, it reminded her of yesterday.

-AKAI'S HOUSE-

"I won't really call this a home." Akai said, opening the door to a slightly grungy place with clothes, CDs and magazines cluttering the floor. There was an electrical guitar propped against the rugged looking 'sofa', the chair had a few packets of potato chips and other junk food. It was the typical teenage gang hangout. It looked so similar to the one Resistance used to have.

"Wait, you're asking me to stay here?" Miyu asked, looking at Akai incredulously.

"Well… yeah. Didn't you listen to what I was saying?" Akai returned a question, "Just take this as a place to dump your bag, we don't come here so often."

Miyu still kept her eyes on Akai. _I obviously haven't been listening, cos you aren't even talking. You're blabbering._ "Who's 'we'?" Miyu asked.

Akai grinned, "I'll show you later. For now, you can just make yourself comfortable here. Man, I sound like some butler or hotel person, don't I? Haha, whatever, so just…"

Miyu switched off from Akai's non-stop talking. She then put on her serious face and said, "Hey, I think you've made a mistake."

"What? Wha'sat mean?" Akai asked, rifling through some of the comics on the floor. "Whoa! I finally found Vampire Knights book2! I thought I dumped it somewh-"

"And you said I wasn't listening to you." Miyu rolled her eyes, "I'm not some lost puppy or something, I don't need anyone to take care of my lodging."

"Lodging? What's that? I know you're not lost, you're just…" Akai paused to remember the word, "ah, you're just abandoned."

The word stabbed Miyu unexpectedly, and it hurt as bad as yesterday. It felt like cutting a wound that was in the process of healing. The pain didn't make her feel sad, it just made her angry. Hateful. "I'm not abandoned!" She shouted, "And I'm leaving this hell of a place!"

She turned to walk out, but she stopped sharply and warned through gritted teeth, "Don't you dare follow me."

Akai was shocked for a bit, before shouting at Miyu's back, "F-fine! Don't you dare come back!"

-GENKI STREET, SHIBUYA-

Aya was walking aimlessly in and out of shops, feeling bored and upset. She wasn't in the mood of going home to study, like how could she when two of her best friends are missing?

Despite her current disposition, Aya spotted a few nice items on the shelves, but because she just wasn't in the mood, she didn't buy them. She randomly picked them up and put them down. She continued walking along the street and sighing in both boredom and unease.

Finally, it was starting to rain. Without an umbrella, Aya decided to head home immediately. Once back home, she collapsed onto her bed and shut her eyes tightly. After a few minutes, she opened them, feeling like a computer that's been restarted.

She rummaged through her bag to take out her school assignments, but to her horror, found something else. There, in her own schoolbag, was an expensive bottle of perfume. Shocked but somehow guilty, Aya looked around in her room although she was alone.

_Where did this come from? Did someone put it in my bag?_ Knowing that she did not buy it, finding the expensive item in her bag was truly scary. _Oh my gosh.. don't tell me that I-_ She shook her head aggressively, trying to make the thoughts go away. _Was it a sub-conscious thing? That means… I'm not guilty right? Right?_

Aya might as well have been hyperventilating. She inhaled deeply to calm herself down. It was possible that someone put in her bag, but there was also a feasible reason that she herself was the one who put it in there herself. Which meant that she _stole_ the item. On the other hand, she didn't _know_ that she did it. It wasn't on purpose.

Yet, Aya still felt bad. She considered returning this to the storekeeper, but it would be pretty weird, wouldn't it? And there might be misunderstandings which may land her in jail! Okay, jail was an exaggerated term, but still. _No biggie. Nothing's gonna happen. I just have explain and return it and everything would be fine. Relax._ She willed herself to calm down.

"Aya?" Suddenly, her room door opened. "I didn't know you were back so early." Her mother said, curiously looking at her daughter's shocked expression. "Did I scare you?" She asked, concerned.

"Oh, no. Not at all. There wasn't much to do today so I thought I'll come back…" Aya trailed off, realising that her mother had her eyes on the item of illegal action. "Uh-"

"Where did you get that?" She asked, her voice somewhat sharp.

"I bought it." Aya said coolly, although she was freaking out inside. From her mother's expression, Aya knew that she had her convinced. And deceived.


	4. THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER

cocoa: i finally made it to the 4th chapt! i will nvr give up a story so don't worry8) i just take quite some time... well cos i'm busy!(excuses) :D

**THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER**

-SOMEWHERE IN JAPAN-

"So what do you call this place again?" Ran asked cautiously. Around Yokocho, cautious is something you must always be. Well, he _is_ a murderer. She never let her guard down around him, causing her to be very unlike her normal bubbly self.

"What would you give me if I told you?" He smirked, always playful.

"What do you want?" She asked back irritably. Why was he like this all the time? He seemed like those playboys in school crowded with a bunch of pretty but dumb girls. Not some hard-core street-gang leader who laughs when someone is murdered. Ran shuddered.

"Hmm, how about a kiss?" He chuckled, keeping his head straight.

"Just answer, alright?" She said. Then again, maybe she was getting used to his personality. But what about… Ran quickly pushed the thoughts of her boyfriend into the back of her mind.

"It doesn't really have a name, but its where, people like us, go for a challenge of strength." Upon Ran's quizzical look, he elaborated, "You know, street fighting."

Ran nodded before asking, "So we're going there tonight?"

"Unless you have something else to do." He playful smile on his lips.

Ran was silent. She had forgotten about school. Totally blanked out about it. _So does this counts a truancy?_ She bit her lip, considering. But it felt weird to just _go back _to school. And that was the least place she wanted to go right now. The sad thing was, even her good friends Miyu and Aya wasn't anywhere in her mind. She was suddenly aware how worried everyone would be because of her. She hated herself for doing this, Ran kept her mouth in a tight line. She felt really bad. But what could she do? Go back?

-SOMEWHERE ELSE IN JAPAN-

_I am so not missing The Irritation. I am so not missing The Irritation. _Miyu repeated to herself, trying to concentrate on thinking. It was pretty stupid that she was actually still thinking about Akai. Why some random girl from her previous gang and not her best friends? And at this point, what about her lodging? She didn't have enough money for a basement room in a house, what more a hotel?

She had already poked her head into various shops looking for a stable job with a higher pay to support herself. Weary, she bought a drink and sat at the bench to ponder.

MIYU'S POV-

What am I doing? I don't even know if what I'm doing is right… I mean, can I really support myself? Can I really be independent? There are just so many questions flooding my mind.

All I know is I don't want to be like a burden to anybody. Sometimes I wonder if its actually that.. that I'm afraid I would be discarded but people again. Like what if… Yamato didn't want me anymore? I know that is pretty absurd, but I just can't help thinking like that.

God, I don't know why I just feel weird and obliged if I stayed with Ran's family, but I didn't mind Akai's offer… Is it because.. I feel like I'm like her? Although I was pretty insulted and… hurt, about her comments. It seriously triggered my anger and upset emotions. And the sole reason is that, what she said was totally true. A hundred percent. And I haven't got over the fact.

That I am abandoned.

-SOME OTHER PLACE IN JAPAN-

Aya had her fingers tightly clutched around the expensive bottle of perfume. She wasn't conscious that she was actually perspiring profusely, and she could practically hear her pounding heartbeat at her ears. Should she explain?

Aya began to tremble as she stepped into the store. "Hello, welcome to Sakura Bloom!" The storekeeper, who happened to be standing at the cashier, greeted heartily. She froze, and before she could think, Aya immediately dashed out of the store and into the next street.

Panting, she sank to her feet and began to cry. She felt so foolish, she couldn't even get things done. After a few deep breaths, Aya recounted the storekeeper's face. Her expression was so happy, it was like she totally did not know that she had stolen something. Did she really not know? Or was she just waiting for the chance to catch her?

Her chain of paranoid thoughts were broken when she spotted a high school girl looking around suspiciously in a store. Then Aya felt like she was watching herself from an outsider's point of view. The girl took a bottle of perfume from the shelf, and as she walked away, she discreetly dropped it into her bag.

Aya watch the girl walk out of the store calmly, even smiling to the old storekeeper. It was worse when the old woman also returned her a beam.

_Was… was it really so easy to get things like this? For free.. and get away with it?_

-BACK TO RAN-

"You know, you reek." Yokocho commented randomly, scrunching up his nose to prove his point.

"I do not!" Ran retorted back, but she was self-conscious. She knew this was hard to admit, but she didn't have a bath since the day before. She was still in her uniform. _Why, of all people, does my embarrassing moments have to be in front of him?_

He shook his head and sighed, "I still don't get why you don't go home." He eyed her for a while, which made her even more self-conscious, then said, "Well, you can use my house then."

RAN'S POV-

Like who wants to? Okay, I can't believe I just said that and am still following him. The weird thing is I don't feel awkward… but I kind of agree with him about me not going home. Like what the hell am I doing? After I witness a murder, instead of going home, I follow the murderer himself?? Ran, Ran… What is wrong with you??

"Just keep behind me and don't look at anyone." He ordered suddenly, causing Ran to look up. Once again, she was shocked by what she saw. It was a mansion, white with an expensive looking black and gold gate. She gasped, and quickly caught up with Yokocho who was already about to head into the mansion.

"You-"

"Shut up and follow me." He hissed and pressed the doorbell. Ran saw a woman in a maid's attire coming up to the screen above the doorbell. When she saw Yokocho, she gasped. Her astonishment turned to suspiciousness as her eyes averted to Ran. However, she recovered quickly. Or she hid her emotions well. "The door, sir?"

"Of course." Yokocho answered swiftly, with a voice Ran never heard before.

The grand gates opened slowly as Yokocho strode in somewhat impatiently. He took a glance around as he walked. Ran let her eyes travel the area in awe, and she felt like she was in fairyland. Then the doors to the mansion itself opened, as if in a greeting. The place inside was too great to behold.

Everything seemed like expensive. The window grill and door frames had expensive carvings, the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling had crystals that looked genuine. In contrast to Ran's own home, the mansion was sparkling clean. The furnishings were lined with gold and black, letting the house hold a mysterious but posh theme.

Ran then realised that there was a butler and the maid watching her. According to his instructions, she quickly looked away and went up the spiral stairways after him. Even the stairs were cool. And rich looking.

Once they arrived at what Ran guessed was Yokocho's room, she did a whistle. "Is this really where you live? I see money everywhere."

For the first time, his smile was grim. And so was his laughter, "Yeah, too bad I don't actually stay here." He didn't bother to explain at her quizzical look, but continued, "The bathroom's just two rooms to the right from here. And don't take too long."

"Uh, okay." She replied, trying to sound casual. She went out of the room and headed in the direction. The bathroom, needless to say, was just as amazing. When she opened the door, there was a huge mirror, the size of a wall, with a table and a few chairs at the side. An expensive-looking plant to its place at the corner. It looked more like a lounge to Ran. There was another door, which Ran presumed led to the bathroom itself.

The bathroom was pretty big too. There was a shower and a bathtub. Then a table with a sink. It was pretty much like a 5 star hotel. Suddenly, Ran felt too dirty and stinky to _bathe._ On the other hand, it was quite exciting. She decided to go for the shower as Yokocho told her not to take too long.

She peeled off her clothes and stepped in, immediately enjoying the water. She looked at the untouched bar of soap. _Did they change the soap everyday? That's pretty exaggerating._ It lathered nicely, and a fragrance filled the air. Literally.

When she was done, she had a sudden thought. She wondered if she was going to wear the same clothes, her smelly uniform. Maybe it wasn't such a great place after all. She wrapped herself in a towel, pouted and went into the first room.

There, neatly folded, was her uniform. "Oh my god…" On the table, was her uniform, washed, dry-cleaned and ironed. As she put them on, she was afraid that she took _that _long. She gave herself a check in the big mirror and hurried out of the room.

She heard a male's voice. "Sir, this behaviour is simply unacceptable."

There wasn't any reply heard from Yokocho. "I mean, Sir, who is that filthy girl?" There was disgust in his voice. Ran realised it was the butler, and she couldn't help but feel insulted. Yokocho said something, but she couldn't hear. Then it seemed that he repeated it amplified. "You know why I don't come home?" Ran recalled him saying that he didn't stay here.

"I only know that this is your home sir, and you _should_ come back."

"THIS IS NOT MY HOME DUDE! And I don't have to come back!" Then Yokocho came out and slammed the door. He grabbed Ran's wrist and pulled her out of the mansion. Ran them shouting behind, but she couldn't turn round.

"Home??" He muttered, with as much disgust as the butler.


	5. WEARY LOST HUNGRY?

cocoa: sorry for the long wait hope this is good enough:x thanks for faithfully reading though:D  
response to Jenizaki: thanks:D hope you don't find Aya's part disappointing:)

**WEARY, LOST AND HUNGRY?**

Miyu glanced at her watch, then looked at the darkening sky. It was the second night she stayed out. Although she packed light, Miyu felt like she was suffering under the weight of her bag. She was getting tired and hungry, but it wasn't anything surprising, seeing that she skipped two meals. Miyu continued walking.

She didn't give more than a glimpse at the shops she was walking past, people looked at her like she was a zombie. Well, she probably did look like one. 'Meji-Dori street?' Miyu stopped, wondering where she was. This wasn't Shibuya already, did she walk out of Tokyo??

Great, now not only was she weary and hungry, she was lost. The past days were the _best_ days of her life. Now she needed to concentrate on getting a place to crash. Seems like she had no choice but to make do with the bus-stop across the street. At least there was a shelter.  
She propped her bag and leaned on it like a pillow.

Miyu opened her eyes with a jerk. To her shock, she saw many people around her, looking downwards at her. She sat up slowly, wondering if this was also a dream. Miyu glared at them, bracing herself for a fight against these gangsters. "What do you want?" She asked guarded, although she probably knew they wanted whatever she had.

To her surprise, one of the guys said, "Don't you recognise us anymore?" Maybe it was the lack of light, maybe it was the lack of sleep… "Uhm, no." Suddenly she spotted Akai in the crowd. Miyu gave her a puzzled look. Akai looked at the rest of them, smirked in triumph and said, "Pay up. Told you she wouldn't recognise you guys." She then turned to Miyu and said, "Don't look so blur. We are all Resistance."

-MEJI-DORI STREET-

"Why is it so late at night? Everybody would be too sleepy to fight." Ran realised that she was whining like a brat. That was what no sleep did to you. "Cos when the cat is away, the mouse comes to play. Or mice in this case." Yokocho replied.

"What?" Ran asked.

"Police." He replied.

Ran froze. _Police._ Her family. She turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. Her eyes were focused, but on somewhere faraway. "Hey. Hey!" Yokocho grabbed her wrist again. "Where are you going?"

"Home." She said in a dazed way. "What? Now?" He asked, flabbergasted, "Are you weird or what?" Ran shook her head, "I'm sorry… I just… nevermind." Yokocho examined her, as if to check if she would just walk away again. Then he turned away and continued walking. "Loser." He muttered, sounding angry, or at least, sulky.

"Sorry." Ran apologised, wondering why she was saying sorry, and why he was angry. "When we're in there later," He said, softer in tone, "stick to me." And he went on walking ahead without looking back. Ran looked at him, slightly stunned. Then she quickly followed him, and due to her dense-ness, she went without suspecting any form of infatuation.

-GENKI STREET-

Maybe it was boredom. Maybe it was loneliness. Or it was just the weird thrill to the entire process. She stepped into Sakura Blossoms, unsettled and somewhat, excited. Aya awkwardly smiled at the storekeeper as she greeted her, her hand spastically hung above her schoolbag. She went straight to the accessories and makeup shelves. Nervously, Aya looked past her shoulder a little to see if the storekeeper was noticing her movements. Apparently not, then she made sure that no one else was watching her, before picking up an item, she was too anxious to know what it was, and quickly putting it into her slightly unzipped schoolbag.

Aya took a deep breath and tried to walk out of the shop steadily. She managed to step out of Sakura Blossoms without getting stopped. She was already perspiring profusely, when suddenly the storekeeper called, "Hey! Schoolgirl!" Aya froze for about a second before she sprinted off like a frightened hare.

"You dropped something…?" The storekeeper said, looking at the pen Aya accidentally dropped.

"Theif!" Aya could hear the storekeeper screaming, and the police chasing after her. In her frantic-ness and hurry, Aya crashed into someone. "I-I'm sorry!" She cried, rushing to get up and run away. "Aya?" That person held onto her arm. Tears were blurring her vision as she tried to escape from the person who was catching her. For her crime.

"Aya! It's me." She turned at the familiar voice and was shocked to see Rei. "Why are you crying?" More tears welled up in her eyes and they overflowed, running down her cheeks. Her face crumpled up in relieved as she hugged her boyfriend tightly.

-ON THE WAY TO FIGHT, MEJI-DORI STREET-

"Where are you taking me again?" Miyu asked, recovering from the shock that her ex-gang was right in front of her. Like a ressurected nightmare. Not that she was afraid of them, she just didn't want her ugly past relived. _Is this how I'm gonna end up? History does repeat itself._

"You still have fight in you right, boss?" One member, whose name was Hirai from what she was told, teased. Somehow that question didn't seem to just mean her current condition. "I said, where. are. you. taking. me." Miyu repeated through gritted teeth with the authority she threw away many years ago.

It seems only Akai was immune to it. "It's just somewhere we go for fighting. You are our best player." She gave Miyu a slap on her back, grinning at the reaction of the gang, as they wondered how their leader accepted this audaciousy. Suddenly, the craving to fight grew in Miyu. She never laid a punch on anyone since she quit her gang, letting Ran do all the wrestling.

She needed somewhere to vent all these frustrations, she wanted the inner hurt to disappear, by inflicting them physically on other people. Nobody truly knows how being abandoned really feels, no-one can actually understand. As Miyu and her gang arrived at the location, a really huge area behind an old carpark building, Miyu felt like she can beat all of the people. All of them standing in front of her, waiting for the fight to begin, were just bored. They haven't seen true fighting before. And Miyu was going to show them.

-RAN, FIGHTING GROUND-

"You ready?" Yokocho double-checked with Ran, before glancing at the other gang members. They stepped into what was supposed to be the fighting ground. Ran noticed that there was a prominent leader of the other group, some girl the same age as her, with a really scary expression.

She looked angry and out to kill. Although Ran was standing in the front also, that girl didn't seem to notice her. When the two groups went against each other, Ran quickly got her fight on. They were like a bunch of pathetic losers, as they fell at her feet. However cool she felt, Ran still knew that it was wrong to beat up this people. It totally wasn't what she usually did. This sort of violence, was what these teenagers, or gangsters, looked for. They didn't mind getting hurt, and they enjoyed watching people street fighting. Ran looked at those people cheering them on, probably already placed bets on either gang.

Soon, it was down to the rival gang's leader and sub leader, also a girl Ran's age and Yokocho with Ran. "I'll take the leader." Yokocho muttered to Ran. Ran nodded solemnly in response, starting to feel the pain creep into her senses when she stopped fighting.

-MIYU, FIGHTING GROUND-

It was as though everything she saw was tainted in red, blood red. Miyu was angry, full of abhorence and hatred that she couldn't wait to unleash on these people. Suddenly, as if she were in some kinda computer game, the opposite gang members all looked like little soldiers. With the same blank faces, just those that you beat and get on to the next level.

It was all too soon that she beat down all the soldiers, leaving only her and Akai to face the last two lead soldiers. With her vision still painted in red, Miyu felt confident of wiping out these two. It seems as though one of the rival member was going against her while the other went against Akai. Miyu shrugged and braced herself.

It seems as though she underestimated this guy. He was good and she had to keep up with his moves so as to keep herself from getting knocked. What if she did a sudden attack? On the other fighter? Immediately, she backed a few steps away from her attacker and threw a punch at the other fighter. Her plan had worked, she caught both of them off guard.

Suddenly, Miyu got a huge shock. The other fighter, who fell on the floor, was a girl. And she was her best friend.


	6. HEADING HOME

cocoa: heyyy ppl:DD this is the final chapt:O hope you guys like it:)

_THANK YOU_ **CrownedApples, Chiby Angel-chan, ochineko, grim reaper sakura, Jenizaki**

**HEADING HOME**

"Ran?" _Why does this sound so familiar? _"Ran? Ran? Ran..." _What's with the echoing?_

Ran got up with a start. "Where am I?" Immediately the pain returned. "Ow, damn, damn." She looked around, it seems like she was in some dark place. Or it was just very late at night. There was alot of noise not far from where she was, a mix of cheering and jeering.

She then realised that someone was watching her. "We still won anyway." Yokocho told her. Ran gave him a puzzled look before asking, "What? What just happened?" He sighed a little and explained, "That girl is pyscho. She turned to hit you, and when you went out cold, she ran away."

Suddenly, Ran knew whose voice it was. She knew who it was that was calling her. _Miyu._

-MIYU'S POV-

Isnt'that Ran? What the hell is she doing here?? And I just- freak.  
Stop calling my name. Just go away. Don't follow me.

-MEIJI-DORI STREET-

"Hey! Where are you going?" Akai called after her leader. Miyu suddenly stopped running, but she didn't look back. "What were you thinking?" Akai continued, "You're not supposed to just leave the fighting ground. Its like we could have won, then you ran away. So now we're like-"

"Do you think I care?" Miyu cut her off, "I don't even know why i even joined you in the first place."

"What?" Akai gasped, "We are like your people, I mean, we are all abandoned, so we stick together, and now you're gonna... abandon us?"

"You know, I just realised that I was never abandoned, not by everybody anyway." Miyu then added, "But thanks, for stopping me from making the wrong decision that day." She walked off, certain that this time, Akai would not follow her.

-MACS, SHIBUYA-

"No wonder I couldn't contact her." Tatsuki said, feeling relieved that he finally knew why Ran wasn't answering his calls and worried that she was currently missing.

"Oh man. Sorry i'm late, got here as soon as i could." Yuya came running towards the gang. "Give me a minute." He said, panting. After a moment a silence, he went, "OH MY GOD. Ran is missing?? Miyu too? Why didn't you tell me earlier? Gahh."

"Becasue we just found out?" Rei replied.

"I don't know how we can find them, cos i don't know why are they missing." Aya said, ashamed.

"So are we gonna call the police or something?" Tatsuki inquired.

"I doubt they are kidnapped. But there's really no reason why they would _both_ go missing for so long, without notice." Aya said worriedly. "I seriously don't know what we should do. Today is already the second day."

"Maybe we should just wait?" Yuya suggested.

"I think we should go talk to their parents or something." Rei commented.

"We just have to talk to Miyu's mom because Ran's family is already aware." Aya added, "Shall we go now?" The rest nodded in agreement.

As Yuya and Tatsuki walked out off Macdonalds, Rei held onto Aya's hand. "You okay?" Aya thought about earlier, when she bumped into him.

-  
"Hey, Aya? Aya?" Rei eased his girlfriend off himself gently, and looked at her. "What happened?" He asked, genuingly concerned. Aya tried to control her crying and said through tears. "I- I feel so bad... I went to steal fr-from a shop.. I nearly go c-caught. I don't know why I went to do it." She looked up at him, "You don't hate me now do you? Do you?"

"No, why should I? And you're not gonna do it again are you?"

"Of course not! I'm so glad I bumped into you." Aya rubbed her eyes, "I'm so lost right now."

"Is everything okay?"

"Ran and Miyu went missing." Aya choked, holding back more tears.

"It's okay, we'll figure something out."  
-

She smiled at him, "Yes, thank you." and entwined her fingers around his.

-NEAR FIGHTING GROUND-

"C'mon, let's go celebrate our winning." Yokocho said, hooking Ran's arm with his.

She pulled back, "Your gang people are like injured from all the fighting and now you just want to celebrate?"

He looked slightly taken aback, then he sarcastically remarked, "What do you want me to do, mourn for them? We. Won." He emphasized the words, "Or do you want me to bring them to a hospital and pay for their bills cos I made them fight?"

"Well, yeah."

"Fact one; I didn't make them fight, they joined this gang, I didn't force them to. Fact two; If I win something, I celebrate. Fact three; you are coming with me."

"No."

"What?"

"I said, no. I'm sick of following you around, doing whatever you're doing. You, I mean look at you, you're a murderer!" She shook her head, "I seriously don't know what I'm doing. At least I know now. So I'm going home."

"Oh please, you're acting like a spoilt brat. And its not like I intend to kill you, in fact, I've treated you like... like a good friend."

"I didn't say you didn't, and I'm grateful, so thank you. But I think I should be going-" Before she could react, Yokocho threw a punch at her. She stared at him, shocked and angry. "What the- what was that for?"

Yokocho looked a little stunned, as if he realised he actually hit her. "I- I hate it when people act all nice to me and get whatever they want, then leave me." He began to sound a little bitter. "So you're not going anywhere."

"What, you're gonna hit me again if I refuse?" Ran tilted her head up in defience, "Then kill me like what you did with that boy in the back alley?" There was no response from Yokocho.

"Goodbye." Ran turned to walk off, but was halted by Yokocho's hand. "Let go." Ran commanded, without facing him, "I said-"

"Hey dude, she said let go." Both Ran and Yokocho turned to look at whoever was talking. After a moment of silence, Yokocho grinned, "What do you want, psycho girl?"

-MIYU'S HOUSE-

"You knock." Tatsuki nudged Yuya. "_You_ knock." Yuya pushed Tatsuki forward.

Rei ignored them and step forward to knock on the door. He waited while the rest seemed to hold their breaths. A middle-aged man answered the door, "Uh, yes?" All four of them looked at one another in confusion. "Who are you?" Tatsuki asked.

"What?"

"Uhm, what he meant was..." Aya checked the unit number and was sure it was Miyu's house. "What happened to the previous tenant."

"Well, they shifted out about two days ago. Is there a problem?"

-NEAR FIGHTING GROUND-

"Didn't you hear her? She asked you to let go, dude." Miyu applied the same strength in her voice when talking to Resistance.

"Or what? Hit me and run away?" Yokocho chuckled in a mocking way. He stepped towards her intimidatingly, closing the distance between all three of them.

"Miyu, just go. I can handle this." Ran said, glaring at Yokocho.

"Oh, she has a name." Yokocho grinned, tightening his grip on Ran's wrist, "And I didn't know you knew each other."

"So now you know, leave her alone." Miyu said, "If you knew her, she can really hit you."

"Oh really?" Yokocho daunted, "Up to now, she has managed to hit me only... oh wait, she didn't hit me _at all_."

"You make it sound like i didn't want to." Ran said through gritted teeth, "And i think i will if you still don't let go." She didn't bother to give him time to reply, immediately she took a swing at him. He managed to dodge, but Miyu quickly made contact between her knee and his stomach, causing him to fall.

"Look, I really don't want to see you, ever again. But I hope that you would... stop killing people." Ran spoke before walking away with Miyu, feeling like that was what she should have done in the very beginning.

-ON THE STREETS-

"So Miyu and her mom shifted somewhere, and she left without telling us?" Aya asked, sounding hurt.

"So at least we know she's not missing or something." Tatsuki said.

"But still, why so sudden?" Aya felt really empty. So this is what losing a best friend felt like.

"Maybe she didn't want to shift away. So right now, Ran is the main concern."

"Are you okay, Aya?" Yuya asked, "You look really pale. I guess it's really tough to have a best friend who left and the other missing."

"At least I have you guys." Aya said, lightly smiling.

"Or just Rei." Tatsuki commented, making her blush.

-APPROACHING SHIBUYA-

"How did you know I was there?" Ran asked, feeling more awkward than happy.

"Cos we were fighting one another?" Miyu replied, letting go a laugh to loosen the tight atmosphere between them.

"I meant with Yokocho."

"That dude? I don't know," Miyu shrugged, "I was looking around for you. Who _is_ he?"

"Ugh, a murderer. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Welcome to the club."

"So what happened to you?" Ran inquired, curious to know.

Miyu inhaled, "My story's probably as long as yours. It started with me finding an empty home the day you went missing."

"You mean, she...." Ran took awhile to digest, "Wow. I mean, I'm sorry."

"Nah, I guess I'm fine now, i just need a place to stay." She grinned.

"Miyu....." Ran gave her best friend a long hug. "Oh man, you're crying."

"As if you aren't."

"I can't believe we left home at the same time and met each other at the same place." Ran laughed. "Do you have your phone with you?"

"Yeah, but there's a very little batt left."

**YO:D this is RAN and MIYU:O**** sorry to have made you all worry, super sorry. But we're coming home now and we'll explain when we see you:D**

"I have to remind you that it's like 5 in the morning." Miyu noted, tapping at Ran's shoulder.

"So?" Ran clicked send.

cocoa: haha:D to compensate the abrupt ending (it wasn't that bad right?) I WILL DO A SEQUEL:DD yay for me and my crap:) pls review:D


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